Celebrating hockey in Roseau
by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio
January 27, 2003

The hockey arena in Roseau (MPR Photo/Eugene Cha)

Residents of northwestern Minnesota take their hockey very seriously. Tuesday night, the rivalry between the Roseau and Warroad high school hockey teams resumes. It's one of the most celebrated sports rivalries in this part of the state. MPR's Morning Edition and Midday broadcast live from Roseau Tuesday.

Roseau, Minn. —
Roseau is located just south of the Canadian border. The city is the county seat for Roseau County. The total population of Roseau County is 16,025, with 7,537 living within a 10-mile radius of the City of Roseau.

Residents of Roseau are still dealing with the aftermath of a devastating flood last year, which damaged more than 90 percent of the properties in the city. But those worries will be cast aside for the night, as hockey takes center stage.

The Roseau Memorial Arena is home of the Roseau Rams high school hockey team. Tuesday night, the six-time state champion Rams host their archrivals from just up the road, the Warroad Warriors.

Teams from Roseau and Warroad have been competing against each other in hockey since 1908. This is one of Minnesota's most celebrated sports rivalries, and a big deal in this part of the state where people take their hockey very seriously.

Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer and Midday's Mainstreet Radio host, Rachel Reabe, will explore the place hockey holds in the lives of the area's residents, and the rich history the game has in Minnesota.